Traditions are important, especially during the holidays.
This year, they seem even more important. Traditions are kind of like family
habits that we choose to hold on to. Traditions make our family different from
every other family. I find it interesting how traditions form and how they
change. For my family, they are fluid, almost alive. Each year we choose to
reinforce one tradition, maybe drop another one temporarily, or add a new
tradition. Thats because we cherish our traditions, but not so much that we
let them interfere with the enjoyment sharing the holidays.

Especially dear are the traditions surrounding our Christmas
tree. My mother bought my son a Christmas ornament on his first Christmas and
every year of her life. She died when my son was three and my husband and I
took up that tradition. Everyone in the family receives an ornament each year,
usually after Christmas when they were on sale. Our tree tells a story. When
our daughter got married, she took her ornaments with her to adorn her family
tree. Now we give our grandchildren a Christmas ornament or decoration each
year.

I remember our familys first Christmas tree. As Christmas
1978 neared, I looked forward to shopping for a Christmas tree with my new
husband, or perhaps cutting our own. Then he delivered his speech defending
the millions of pine and fir trees, a speech I have heard many times since.

What do you mean, You dont believe in cutting down
Christmas trees? What am I supposed to do with the Christmas ornaments we
bought? I asked Jim.

The year before we had bought a set of five Christmas
ornaments on sale after the holidays. I had looked forward to hanging them on
our first Christmas tree, but now it looked as if we wouldnt have one.

I looked out the window, beyond the yard, to the field
behind our house. No trees there. We lived in a high desert in Idaho
surrounded by sagebrush. Well it might not be green, but it will hold the
ornaments. I said to the empty room.

After Jim got home from work that evening, he saw the
ornaments hanging from my tree. Well, it wasnt really a tree. It was a tall
sprig of sagebrush stuck in a coffee can filled with dirt.

Thatll do, and no one will ever miss that sage brush, Jim
said.

I thought this would be our only Christmas tree until I
found a tree at the local Salvation Army store. A new artificial tree was out
of the question, but this one was only five dollars.

Thats the ugliest tree Ive ever seen! Jim said when I
brought it home.

Wait until you see it decorated, it will be beautiful, I
assured him calmly.

Whats this? he asked, as he picked at the wrinkled tinsel
hanging from the branches.

Its tinsel, I told him, whoever owned the tree before
put tinsel on it. It doesnt come off easily. Thats probably why they gave it
away. With a little time, I think we can get it all off.

I went to work on my Christmas tree. After several minutes
of picking at the tinsel, I gave up and began to decorate it. I hung my five
ornaments on it.

It looks better, Jim admitted reluctantly, but it still
has a lot of that silver stuff on it.

Every year we picked more tinsel off the tree and decorated
it with our growing collection of ornaments, lights, and garland. To others,
it may not have been as attractive as some trees, but to me it was beautiful.
It was a part of our Christmas celebration for twenty years. Every year we
considered getting a new tree, but we could never afford it. By the time we
could afford a new tree, I wasnt sure I wanted one. Finally, we bought a new
artificial tree and gave the old one away to brighten the holidays of another
family. The ornaments are still the same, the new tree is more attractive, but
still I miss that old scraggly tree with the wrinkly silver stuff.

I guess my Christmas tree is an example of how some of our
traditions change over time, but many remain, keeping us connected to the past
and to each other. Discuss your family traditions today. Which ones will you
choose to keep? Which ones would you like to change? You might be surprised to
see which traditions mean the most to individual family members.